Colorado Anti-NDAA Bill Heads To Committee

Colorado’s “anti-NDAA” legislation was first introduced and assigned to the House State, Military, and Veteran Affairs Committee last month. Now, on Feb. 13, the bill will reach its first hearing.

Colorado’s bill is another in a string of similar bills in other states introduced this legislative session to combat and stop certain provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.

Similar to Washington State’s legislation, Colorado’s version focuses on the problems with Section 1021 of the 2012 NDAA that purportedly authorizes the inclusion of U.S. citizens in its definition of “covered persons,” i.e. suspected terrorists, who can be indefinitely detained by the military without charge or trial.

The bill declares Colorado is not a “battlefield” subject to the “laws of war” and prohibits the detention, capture, or use of deadly force against any person in Colorado without charge or trial.

While the committee is the notorious place where bills go to die, lobbying action from the American Civil Liberties Union is giving the legislation a fighting chance. It’s reported that the bill appears to have enough votes to get it out of committee.

Supporters of the bill are urged to contact members of the committee to ensure it passes onto the floor. (Out-of-state supporters are also urged to contact members of the committee, without mentioning the state they are calling/emailing from.)